Tesla Model 3 — Exclusive Test Track Photos

At the Model 3 reveal event on Thursday, March 31st, the mainstream media and general attendees stuck to the confines of the event property where they ate the message Tesla was serving up, and let’s be clear — it was a great message. They eagerly drank in the presentation and the admittedly beautifully lit Model 3 on stage just like we did… but we wanted more. Not just a ride in the car around the track or some stock photos… we wanted to capture the Model 3 in action, moving and dynamic… so that’s what we did.

When the lights went down after the big presentation, everyone eagerly awaited their turn for a test ride (where a Tesla employee would drive the occupants around in the star of the show — the Model 3 — or a Model S or X). Most of the drivers were engineers or designers, but several attendees reported that CTO J.B. Straubel snuck into the action to drive a few sets of lucky guests around on the track.

Outside the event, we squirmed and wriggled our way onto the the test track and drank in the amazing sights of the two Model 3s, the two Model Xs, and the one Model S Tesla had setup for test rides from a wide variety of positions and angles. Zach posted the video of the Model 3 gliding silently around the track with the occasional punctuating puff from the nearby smoke machines, and I’m thrilled to share with you now some of the photos I captured.

Below are not just the most crisp pictures snapped in the crazy lights of the track but more than that — these are the pictures that we felt really capture the personality of the Model 3. The dance floor lighting serves to accentuate the angles, lines, and curves of the car, showing off the car in beautiful ways. The Model 3 looks like a hatchback, a Porsche, a Lexus, a Model S, and even a Model X depending on the angle.

Browse through the collection, call out and defend your favorite features of the car… or pick up your troll stick and call out the uglies. For me, I’m really digging the front end and the panoramic glass — especially after our test drive of the Model X today in Santa Barbara. Stay tuned for a review of that in the next few days. Oh… and please, don’t drool on the keyboard! 🙂

In addition to the test track pics, here are a few pics from inside the unveiling event that I took as well:

About the Author

Kyle Field I'm a tech geek passionately in search of actionable ways to reduce the negative impact my life has on the planet, save money and reduce stress. Live intentionally, make conscious decisions, love more, act responsibly, play. The more you know, the less you need. TSLA investor. Tesla referral link: http://ts.la/kyle623

The front end is growing on me:) at the unveiling, it was the one single area of the 3 I hoped would improve by production, but seeing multiple views of the 3, I now feel it’s Porshe-esque.. Cannot wait!!!!

“Model S sales have flattened, and Model X is turning into a disappointment, and now nothing is going to happen until the Model 3 comes out — probably not until mid- to late-2018,” said hedge fund manager Mark Spiegel of Stanphyl Capital Management.

Given the fourth-quarter losses, Spiegel said, the success of the Model 3 may not even help Tesla’s bottom line. The company sold more cars than ever but experienced greater losses than ever.

“The Model 3 will not save the company,” Spiegel said. “The Model 3 is going to speed up the end of the company.”

Haha, it’s nonsense. The same crappy short pitch that we’ve seen since 2008 or so. 😀 Never ending, it seems. 😀

Bob_Wallace

Mark has built a hefty reputation as a distributor of Tesla FUD.

IIRC he posts on Seeking Alpha as “Logical Thought” and is frequently accused of short selling Tesla, then posting misinformation in an attempt to create a drop in stock prices so that he can cash in.

Rikaishi Rikashi

Oh THAT guy. Yeah some of the shorts on SA are amazingly obtuse. They seem fond of lumping Teslas product development and investment costs in with the cost of producing it’s current products, and thus claim that Tesla can not make cars profitably. It’s complete BS since of course they would be profitable if they just sat on their laurels and stopped ramping production, but demanding they do so is just doing the work of oil barons.

The sad thing is his prediction may have the appearance of being validated if the accelerated ramp to meet model 3 demand causes Tesla to miss it’s profit guidance for 2016. I can see him saying “I told you so” even if he was completely wrong about the reasons.

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